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Monday, 11 May 2015

Blog Tour + Interview + Giveaway - The Day Of The Wave by Becky Wicks

The Day Of The Wave by Becky WicksPublication date: May 1st 2015Genres: Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Isla and Ben were just sixteen when the Boxing Day tsunami tore through their beach resort in Thailand. Just days after forming a life-changing bond, both were missing and presumed dead. Unbeknown to each other and haunted by one of the biggest natural disasters in world history, Isla and Ben are living very different lives, until over a decade later when a chance encounter throws them back together.

Based on real life events, The Day of the Wave is a story of healing, learning to let go, and figuring out when to hold on with everything you have left.

I’ve written for so long I can’t even remember when I started but my mom still has school books of mine from when I was as young or six that are full of stories about talking dogs and cats! Hmm… that’s something to think about picking up again, right?

‪What makes you want to write?

It’s usually one element of a story that finds me and grabs me - then I build the rest around it. With The Day of the Wave it was all the stories I kept hearing about the tsunami when I was on holiday in Sri Lanka. I got to thinking what it must have been like and how I could possibly convey that emotion/trauma/reality in a work of fiction.

‪Do you ever get writer's block and what do you do to get over it?

Sometimes but I force myself to keep writing. I write the fun scenes first, like the first kiss, or an action scene, or a pivotal moment that I know I have to build around and that usually helps to unblock myself (something sounds wrong about that!). I think it’s important to write every day though, it’s like polishing a medal, perfecting something you’ve been given. The more you do it, the shiner and more polished you get!

‪Do you have any works in progress?

I’m working on a book right now with the theme of reincarnation. I think it will just be called ‘Reincarnation’ and it will probably be done by summer. I’ve always been fascinated with the topic and I’ve read everything I can on it. Call it wishful thinking too - I like to believe there’s more than this, that we’re all here for a bunch of reasons and the end is never the end.

‪What are your hobbies?

I love listening to live music! There’s nothing better than hearing people’s souls pour out of their mouths and I’m lucky enough to live in Nashville, where we have so much incredible talent to inspire the rest of us.

‪How did you choose the character names for The Day of the Wave?

That’s a good question, they just came to me. I kind of wanted Isla to have a strong name though, and I like that it means island. Towards the end of the book, Ben points out that Isla herself is an island who rose above the ocean, physically and metaphorically. Ben’s just a great guy’s name. I know a lot of nice Bens. I can’t think of a bad Ben!

‪Who is your favourite character in ‪The Day of the Wave?

I think Isla is my favourite. She’s scared and carrying so many fears but she’s strong beneath it all. I like that we follow her journey as she grows in her own skin and regains her confidence after what happened to her during the tsunami.

‪How did you get the idea for ‪The Day of the Wave?

I met a few people on my travels in Asia who were either involved in the Boxing Day tsunami, or knew someone who was. The locals in Thailand and Sri Lanka all have so many stories. The idea just kind of developed over the course of a couple of weeks and I wrote most of it in five weeks, once I got back to the UK. I had to do a lot of research though - I read everything I could find, every survival story, every account, to make sure I had my facts straight!

‪What was your favourite part of writing ‪The Day of the Wave?

Seeing Isla and Ben find strength in each other and own up to their own weaknesses. My LEAST fave was waking up every night from nightmares about tsunamis heading straight for me!

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‪What are you currently reading?

Children that Time Forgot - it’s another reincarnation book. See, I’m obsessed!

‪What is your favourite book?

The Princess Bride

‪Who is your favourite author?

Neil Gaiman

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‪What is your favourite film?

Too many to mention! Titanic is good up until the ship crashes into the iceberg. I turn it off at that point. Jack and Rose forever!!!

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‪What is your favourite TV show?

Orange Is The New Black. Love that show, so brilliant!

‪Quick-fire questions:

‪Chocolate or ice cream? Chocolate

‪Paperback or ebook? Ebook

‪Dogs or cats? Cats

‪Go out or stay in? Going out

‪Summer or winter? Summer

AUTHOR BIO

Becky Wicks lives in Bali and scribbles books, and she’s mostly powered by coffee. Her first book in the Starstruck Series, Before He Was Famous recently reached #1 in Amazon’s Coming of Age and New Adult & College categories, and her three travel books, published by HarperCollins are online to make feet nice and itchy. Mostly though, she loves to write love stories. She blogs most days at beckywicks.com and always welcomes distractions on Twitter @bex_wicks. Especially if you have photos of cats.

About Me

I have three currently published short stories (Escaping Rapture which is part of the After Tomorrow anthology, Renee and the Wolf which is part of the Mystical Bites anthology, and The Curse of the Sea). My previously published novel Girl Meets Underworld and As We Lie Dying, a short story, are both being rewritten along with a bunch of other stories that are fighting for my attention. I run A Book Addict's Bookshelves.